Issue: waking Lynx BMS from Hibernation state via VictronConnect App?

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Ingo Pfeiffer asked Nov 18, '21

Issue: waking Lynx BMS from Hibernation state via VictronConnect App?

Hi community

I have the Lynx Smart BMS managing two paralleled Lithium Smart Batteries and connected to some 12V consumers (all in an RV). Batteries get charged via a buck boost when driving.

Two weeks ago I returned home after many hours of motorway driving and the batteries were 100% charged and well balanced/cycled.

Then I switched the Lynx to standby mode via Victron Connect app, the contactor opened and only Bluetooth of the BMS remained enabled, so system in low power consumption.

Last weekend I drove the vehicle and left BMS in standby mode - so neither charge nor discharge was occurring. Reason is that the buck boost is yet NOT connected to “Do not charge” signal of BMS - that’s why I use BMS soft standby mode, which opens the contactor, to avoid charging on low battery temp - which was the case last weekend here at home in Sweden…

Now, today, i.e. after 11 days in standby mode, I see the BMS being in Hibernate mode (not Standby anymore), and when toggling the Mode-switch in Victron Connect app from Standby to On, nothing happens. Neither precharging nor contactor switch to close circuit connection. After a while the Mode-switch in the app automatically returns to Standby.

Battery temp today is 11C (I.e about Charge allowed at 5C) and battery charge level 69%.

Is this a bug in the software or may there be a reason for why the BMS does not activate the system as usual?

Or is it not foreseen that hibernation mode can be ended via Victron Connect app?

The only thing I can think of is that in the last days the battery was below 5C - but now is again above. I do also think that charge levels/cell levels have not been at undervoltage due to low temp - because it is now at 69% level and 13,3V.

In the Lynx BMS operation/troubleshooting manual https://www.victronenergy.com/media/pg/Lynx_Smart_BMS/en/operation-lynx-smart-bms.html I do not find this specific case covered, it only refers remote on/off switch and does not mention Victron Connect soft standby…

Right now my thought of solving this is “hard reset” by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery from the BMS to power up the BMS from totally disconnected state…

Any hints/tricks/tips are highly appreciated.

BMS VictronConnect

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Ingo Pfeiffer commented · Nov 18, 2021 at 08:17 PM

Additional info: driving today, thus charge voltage passed through by the buck boost, did not change the behavior of the BMS either.

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Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) answered · Nov 19, 2021 at 07:44 AM

Hi @Ingo Pfeiffer,

here is what I've found out and hopefully it will solve your problem:

The hibernate delay (e.g. at low voltage) is 2hours. Then the Lynx Smart BMS turns on again when a charger is detected or when the battery voltage increases (by external charger).
Standby mode is intended as a temporary mode to disconnect battery power (e.g. for maintainance).
In standby mode, the Lynx Smart BMS goes to hibernate after 10 days now. The only way to get out of hibernate is the remote switch - ON->OFF->ON.
The preferred way to disconnect the batteries for a longer period is the remote switch and not the standby switch. This also saves battery power (over 7Ah in 10 days).

Please let me know if that helped to get your LSB up and running again.

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Ingo Pfeiffer commented · Nov 19, 2021 at 10:18 AM

@Stefanie

thx for your additional check and feedback. This information together with my testing/steps earlier this morning (see in my post) explains most of the BMS behavior and questions I have.

I will go ahead and install a permanent Remote on/off switch solution.

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Answer 1 · 2021-11-18T20:23:56Z

Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) answered · Nov 18, 2021 at 08:23 PM

Hi @Ingo Pfeiffer,

the Lynx Smart BMS goes into hibernation mode automatically 1hour after standby or as a result of a low battery event simply to save power. So it's normal that you see the BMS in hibernation mode after you have switched it into standby. More on that in section 8.1 in the manual.

To get it out of hibernation mode, you need to wire a remote on/off switch to the ATC terminals. See section 3.3 in the manual for more information.

Hope that helps.

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Answer 2 · 2021-11-18T20:44:56Z

Ingo Pfeiffer answered · Nov 18, 2021 at 08:44 PM

Hi @Stefanie

Thx for your quick reply. In my BMS the wire Loop is placed on the remote on/off connections which I understand as remote switch is “on” at all times.

Also, in chapter 8.1 (or any other chapters of the online version of the manual, see link in first post) I cannot find any timing (1 hour??) info about after which duration the Lynx BMS is going into hibernation mode.

Based upon own experience I can tell the BMS is not going to hibernation automatically not even after several days passed. That’s why I am using “soft standby” which opens the contactor (almost like kill switch).

So, studying the manual the remaining reason would be “low battery/cell event” but even that I would outrule as it has such high charge level and voltage today.

Maybe there is some kind of “really long timing threshold” for hibernation connected to soft standby??

I will try to unplug&insert the remote on/off loop to end hibernation and switch the BMS on again. Would be much easier than unscrewing terminals or main fuse…

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Stefanie (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Nov 18, 2021 at 09:18 PM

Yes, if you haven't wired the remote on/off switch then PIN 10 and 11 must be wired with the loop.

Not sure why "1hour" is not mentioned in the manual. There were so many firmware updates in the past, maybe Victron discarded this feature and I didn't noticed. But that's how it worked in the beginning.

Apart from high charge level and battery voltage, did you check cell voltages of your two SmartLithiums?

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Answer 3 · 2021-11-19T09:54:54Z

Ingo Pfeiffer answered · Nov 19, 2021 at 09:54 AM

Hi Followers

Some update to the case:

- removing and reinserting the bridge with wire loop between pins H&L did not do anything to hibernation state of the BMS and I still could not initialize it from VictronConnect app

- placing a cable between batt+ and pin H (= remote switch on) initialized the BMS, pre-charging and contactor close were triggered and mode in VictronConnect switched to On

- removing the cable switched the BMS immediately to Hibernation state and standby mode

- I the inserted the bridge with loop again (hibernation state and standby mode remained) but, believe it or not, toggling standby-switch in VictronConnect to On ended Hibernation and initialized the BMS, pre-charging and contactor close were executed and mode in VictronConnect switched to On

I don’t get it… any Victron-rep that might want to comment??

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Answer 4 · 2022-04-30T08:49:03Z

jedrzej-h answered · Apr 30, 2022 at 08:49 AM

Where in the VictronConnect application do I find the standby mode switch to set it to the On position. I would like to try if this will end hibernation and initialize the BMS, do a precharge and close the contactor and the mode in VictronConnect will be switched to the On position.

Could someone take a screenshot of the app with this switch?

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